Modern firearms (e.g., pistols and rifles) often rely on a magazine to contain ammunition and feed the ammunition into the chamber of the barrel. Knowing the quantity of ammunition currently loaded within a magazine is important to military, police, and civilian firearm users as it can affect their decision to use, retain, and/or discard a particular magazine. Depending on the quantity of ammunition loaded into a particular magazine the shooter may decide to take no action as it concerns the magazine, reload the firearm with a different magazine, or select a different magazine from their magazine carrier prior to loading it into the firearm.
Many magazines are constructed of opaque materials. As such, when a magazine is attached to a firearm or positioned within a magazine carrier, the user is unable to see if the magazine is loaded with ammunition without first removing it. Even then, the user is often unable to determine the exact number of rounds contained within the loaded magazine.
Some magazines incorporate transparent or translucent windows allowing the user to see if a magazine is loaded with ammunition. These designs may be of little or no use when the shooter is operating in a low light and/or no light environment.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for a magazine floor plate with a status indicator. It is to the provision of a magazine floor plate that is configured to provide a visual and/or tactile indicator that relates to the quantity of ammunition contained within a magazine equipped with the magazine floor plate that the present invention is primary directed.